Sometimes, Size DOES matter.

Size doesn’t matter? Maybe for certain things but when you are trying to find a dress for a wedding that is tomorrow and nothing is fitting size DOES matter. More often than not both boutiques and European clothing are associated with tiny sizes. I can close my eyes and flash back to my study abroad trip in Greece. I would sigh in dressing rooms, looking down at the skinny jeans that would decide to stop halfway up my body, giving up on my large American thighs. Because Eurotrash is both a boutique and specializes in European fashion, many women have a preconceived notion that we too only carry sizes for the petite purchaser. To the pear shaped, the junk in the trunks, the curvy and the thick, rest assured. You can shop European and boutique without leaving the store feeling like you did after a bad day in high school, rejected and denied.
My sister came to visit me a few weekends ago. We had a wonderful time eating out, drinking and shopping. we started the wonderful weekend at where else, but Eurotrash. Now I am definitely not on the petite side by any means and neither is my sister. We are large, Polish and proud! Currently she is a size 14/16, often left dejected by Banana and JCrew shuffling away unable to find her size. I was so happy to bring out the excited shopper in her again when she arrived at Eurotrash. She left with a bag full of great cotton dresses, wraps and of course with confidence. I was happy to find my sister some flattering and adorable pieces and to assure her that boutique and European doesn’t have to mean size 0. We have pieces for the teeny tiny and the curvy bodacious. I always encourage all women to embrace their shape and style and find that perfect dress or top that makes you feel like you, comfortable in your own skin and confident.

August Happenings…

We’ve got loads going on for August.   Here’s the haps.. and a little something for you, too!

Eurotrash Featured in Delta Sky Magazine

We’re tickled to be in great company with the other Richmond features selected by the editors of Delta Sky Magazine.  Check out the article here:

http://deltaskymag.delta.com/Destinations/Richmond/Shopping.aspx

The Hunt

Jillian’s Take on the Fashion Hunt…

Whenever I’m looking to add a new piece to my wardroom it’s never that easy because no matter what I’m looking for it has to be versatile.  With wedding season here I was looking for that perfect dress to wear to a friend’s wedding, and the other requirements: it had to be unique and timeless enough to function as a date, cocktail, and party dress. This was not a dress I was going to find in a department store, I wanted something that people hadn’t seen. That’s what I love about Eurotrash, we try to differentiate ourselves from any other store, carrying lines that most haven’t discovered yet. With a wide variety of silhouettes, and styles I didn’t have a hard time finding that perfect dress that I will still have for years to come and I’m not just saying that because I’m a Eurotrash girl. I love designer clothes and the lines we carry are the premium of what you would find in Europe. There’s just something about when you are wearing your Eurotrash, you feel confidant and sexy.  Don’t believe me, go ahead and try it, I dare you!

My New Vogue and Exploding Diapers

Reflections on the return of the tailored look for Fall… by Anne

As any other mom knows (especially those of other precocious and super-busy 18 month olds), stealing away a moment of time for yourself is nearly impossible — let alone getting to leaf through your latest issue of Vogue upon its arrival.  I was having a great morning — coffee in hand, my daughter, Winnie, playing quietly with a new kitchen set I just got her (worth it’s weight in gold!), so without a moment to lose, I picked up my new issue and opened the pages wide enough to crack the spine and break it in.  I flipped passed all the gorgeous ads, stopping to admire the new looks from Prada, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs — you name it, before making my way to an article of particular interest about the return of the tailored look for Fall.  As a devotte of the styles of Jackie O, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn, I’ve grown up loving the chic tailored looks of the 60s.  And with Mad Men, I’ve found a new love of those of the 50s, too.  I love how the garments are so feminine, so figure forming without being overtly so.  Which takes me back to the Vogue article noting those that have pushed aside the rocker trend, that has been in vogue for what seems like ages, in order to opt for the more tailored, structured, and dare-I-say-it, traditional feminine look — of course, done with a modern twist.  Vogue notes that not all will opt into this look — that some just can’t leave behind their bedhead, leather legging, spiked boot, tunic ways — like that of Kate Moss — which made me ponder.  On what side of the fence will I fall?

I didn’t even ponder it a moment, knowing full well I’d love the tailored look.  That was me.  While I love to push the envelope and try to remain largely undefined in my style, tailored is definitely where I tend to go.   It’s my safe haven — timeless, flattering, beautiful.  And just as I smiled thinking about all of those gorgeous trends, I heard a little voice at my feet.  “Uh oh” Winnie said, handing me what seemed to be nothing.  At a closer look, I realized she handed me a small gel pellet.  Huh.  Not sure where that came from.  Then it became all too clear.  As Winnie walked across the room, large chunks of gel pellets fell out of her diaper.  I watched them fall to my rug and wondered how I would ever clean them all up in time to get to work.  Ahh, motherhood!  And with that, I found myself in a state of self-doubt.  How could I ever do the tailored look with a 20-24 month old?  The thought of the dry cleaning bills already made my head hurt.  So, I decided, then and there, that while I will love the tailored look (most likely from afar) I will likely continue to enjoy some of the rocker look too –  , that’s where I am in life, and I’m embracing it.

Au Revoir….

Good-bye from Nancy…

 Life has those bitter-sweet moments where we look forward to what is to come and what is en route, but yet we must say farewell to that which we have become so attached to and have grown to love. It is in these moments where one must be thankful for not only the possibilities that new opportunities present but past lessons learned, joyful memories, and knowledge acquired. Eurotrash has been like my family and leaving feels like losing someone near and dear to me and my heart. I was brought in, in the beginning and have grown in the past 3 years as much as this store has. When I first started I was only in the process of figuring myself out and trying to understand where I was going—Eurotrash and I had a lot in common. Thanks to my amazing boss I have been molded into someone I am proud to be as a professional and know that I will be an asset to any company I work for. But more importantly, I will be an asset to myself and my future. The knowledge I have learned as an employee at Eurotrash has been invaluable and I cannot convey the gratitude I feel towards this company, Anne and Jay, and all of my wonderful co-workers. I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful work experience and a wonderful boss to base my future standards off of and as though I feel as if I am walking away from home every little bird must leave the nest eventually. I now go out to explore the next chapter of my life which has been laid out for me on a very blessed path. Though things are changing and my life is moving forward there is one bit of Eurotrash that I won’t be able to give up. The clothes! My Eurotrash wear and I are off on our next adventure and wherever it takes me I know one thing for sure: I will look damn good when I get there!

Anne and Jay—thank you for all of your support, understanding, and motivation. I am so thankful for you taking me under your wing and coaching me. I know I would not be the person I am today without having had you all in my life. What a blessing.

To my girls—I will miss you guys so much and thank you for being the best work team I have ever had. The openness, kindness, and support that is between us all makes all the difference. You girls will always have a special place in my heart and I look forward to our continued friendships.

And to all of you who have shared so much of their lives with me and made my work here at Eurotrash so meaningful—I must say thank you. It has been such an honor to meet or work with all of you and I have enjoyed being a part of your lives.

Love you all,

Nancy

I’m Pear Shaped but I love my Skinny Jeans!

Anne’s observation on skinny jeans and how they have helped women embrace their curves…

Okay, so I’m not terribly pear-shaped, but that is definitely my body shape tendency, and like many of us not 5′11″ and toothpick skinny, I resisted skinny jeans for a long time.  I kept looking at the trend thinking it’d be a blip, not unlike fluorescent color washed denim (proud to say that trend passed me by this go ’round, though I did succumb in the 80s.  Who can fault an 8 year old?!).  I kept thinking that I’ve always been told to hide my thighs and hips — palazzo pants, bootleg jeans, long straight shorts were all my go-tos — but when our skinny jeans arrived in-store, I had to give them a go.

Nervous as I was to step out of the dressing room, I walked through the curtain and checked myself out in the large mirror.  Not that awful.  In being honest with myself, and let’s face it, a bit critical, I realized that this was a trend I could do, so long as I kept the proportions right.  This way my skinny jean epiphany.  So long as I kept my tops over-sized and long enough to hit the top of my hips, I was good to go.  And that’s when I fell in love with skinny jeans — and I’m now a super skinny convert.

In paying particular attention to other women in their skinny jeans, I realized that most all women, regardless of shape, size and age, can work skinny jeans when done properly.  You just need to understand your body shape and wear them in a way that works best for you.  Pear-shaped, like me?  Make sure you wear longer tunic tops that hit you at the hip or upper thigh — your largest part.  This will help make the skinny part of the jeans look skinny and deaccentuate the hip / thigh area.  Apple shaped?  Make sure you wear something flowy on top — think banded bottom bubble-like tops.  With the skinny bottom, volume on top is your friend and the volume gives you extra room in the middle so nothing pulls, again, accentuating the skinny and making your top seem smaller despite the added volume up top (hey — that’s the style!  I meant to do that!).  The triangles and boyish-figured win out on this look — and enjoy it!  It won’t be around forever, if fashion trends tell us anything.  I will say, with the Serena Super Skinnies from Mavi we’ve all been living in at the shop, I’m glad the trend will be sticking around for a little while — at least!    

So embrace those legs, love those curves and rock some skinny jeans.  Wear ‘em with a blazer, funky t, cardigan, long tunic, ribbed tank — you name it!  Find what makes you feel good in your skinnies and walk proud!  You earned it!

Celebrity Style

Insights from Meredith…

A girl in my old marketing class was on Next Top Model. Each time I asked her for a pencil or passed her the attendance sheet I too felt famous. I get the same feeling when I see something I own featured in a magazine. “I own that A-symmetrical skirt, Kim Kardashian is wearing in ‘People’, therefore I too am a renowned celebrity.” Now maybe this way of thinking is a bit delusional but a girl can dream. So maybe I won’t be in Vogue or Lucky Magazine this week, but in the mean time I’ll be a local celebrity.

Luckily working at Eurotrash this year has given me the opportunity to expand my closet filling it with outfits that stand out and move me forward in the fashion world. Most importantly, it gives me the confidence of Kate Bosworth, Zoe Deschanel and Anne Hathaway all rolled into one. I flip through People Magazine, pointing to shirt-dresses and tie-dyes filling the Style section. I gasp when I see metallic heels and origami styled skirts adorning the pages of Vogue. Different looks and pieces from Eurotrash are popping up in almost every fashion mag so rest assured you too can become a local celebrity.

So next time you’re wearing your Gestuz jumpsuit out to Ladies Night, don’t be surprised if paparazzi come around the corner blinding you with camera flashes. If you are pushing your stroller through Carytown in your Oxmo tank and studded Mavi jeanskirt, be prepared for a press interview, “Who are you wearing?” You know what to say. “Eurotrash.”

Reduce, Reuse, Refashion…

Nancy’s insight into the reusability of perfect pieces…

You walk into a store and pick up a pair of boots or a handbag and say “My mom used to have something just like this when I was a kid!” This is the phenomena I refer to as the Recycling of Trends. As time goes on some trends get lost while others get pulled through the time warp into the future, tweaked a bit, and then returned back to our wardrobes today.  Classic a-line skirts, leather over-the-shoulder bags, “Mad Men” dresses, and vintage (in some cases “vintage inspired”) jewelry are popping up all over the place going from racks and shelves in the stores to racks and shelves in our closets.  And aren’t we lucky ducks! What a great place we are in for fashion these days. There is so much history and so many ideas at our fingertips where we can literally go back in time, pick out our most beloved, improve on the potential of some and create something applicable for today from all of our old favorites (Now, if only men were so versatile!).

It’s great to go out shopping and find those pieces that are going to be able to stay in your closet for years to come. Some of my favorite designers that make pieces like these are Covet and Nanushka. Covet has their amazing eco-friendly approach that makes each piece feel amazing and their designs are heavenly—very unique and very usable. Their designs are certainly something I am planning on holding on to for a very long time.  Nanushka has a similar usability to it from my perspective. This Hungarian line pulls me in, like Covet, with their unique styles that allow for simplicity and elegance all in one. What a jackpot! Nanushka knows a woman’s body as well. Be ready to put on one of her pieces and know exactly where your waist and hips are and feel amazing about it. What more could you ask?

Embrace this cycle. We can take those amazing pieces from yesterday, combine them with the amazing pieces of today, and make something more amazing than could have been thought of in the past! After all, our mom’s may have had the cute vintage Frye boots and awesome accessories but we have the internet and smart phones to dazzle and inspire us so we can take fashion to the next level. I can’t wait to see where we go with fashion next (and what we “refashion”)!